Win Me Back My Country
by ImyG
Summary: Adelaide was an English maiden. But after her father died and the king was captured, she realised that it was time to fight the animals threatening to rip apart her beloved contry. With harsh judgements against her and the ongoing threat of being eliminated, can she rise out of her father's shadow and defeat the fearsome Wolf?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

The Circle Of Nobles

Adelaide sat on her bed. It was well into the night but she refused to sleep. She was upset by her father's sudden departure and promised herself not to sleep until he returned. Sir Devereux was a commander of a large army and he was always dashing off to help his country. Adelaide was proud to have such a brave father, however, she was in constant fear of something happening to him. Nevertheless, she kept calm and eagerly awaited his return. Little did she know of the chaos at that very second.

Elsewhere, Sir Devereux rode onto the grassy plain, somewhere in the southeast of England. The air was full of the cries of soldiers. The peaceful night was disturbed by the sounds of metal crashing against each other. Lord de Clare rode to Sir Devereux, already out of breath and tired.

'Sir Devereux. Thank goodness you're here. The king, he's been captured!'

Sir Devereux nodded and said, 'I know. This opposing army, who is the leader?'

Lord de Clare reluctantly said, 'We are not sure. It seems there are four in charge but this is not yet proven.'

Sir Devereux looked up and said, 'Where are the other noblemen?'

Lord de Clare called to his attendants and said to Lord Devereux, 'In the tent. Come.'

They jumped off their horses and walked to the tent, their armour shining in the light of the moon.

Sir Devereux entered into the tent. It was only a temporary shelter. A group of nobleman sat in a circle, examining a map in front of them which rested on a table in the middle of the circle.

Lord de Clare addressed all the men and said, 'I'm sure you all know of Sir Devereux. He has come to our aid.'

A Lord stood up and said, 'Sir Devereux, good to see you again. However, our country has gone from one of peace to one of chaos on this day. It is hardly the time for pleasantries.'

Sir Devereux looked at the map and said, 'What are our tactics?'

Another Lord stood up and said, 'We've tried to keep them at bay for now. When the sun rises, we shall leave for negotiations, apart from Sir Longarm and Lord Woolsack, who will guard the battlefield until our return.'

Sir Devereux replied, 'Then I shall come with you. I will go to prepare now.'

As the night grew darker and colder, Sir Devereux sat in his personal tent writing a letter. The candle flickered as he wrote. He tried to keep a straight face but sadness stood in his eyes, her cold fingertips encouraging him to shed tears. In all his pride, he resisted her and thought about Adelaide, his dearest daughter.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The Woe Of Adelaide

As dawn rose across the plain, battle was still lurking in the air. Yet, a calm air seemed to hit all the soldiers, as the morning sun shone on their faces. The band of lords set off for their destination, a fortress of the enemies. They passed a river and Sir Devereux could not help but admire the beauty of it all. Still, they rode into a dense forest.

Lord de Clare rode on and called to the nobles following, 'The fortress is not too far away. I'm sure we'll be there before evening.'

They nodded and rode on. The trotting of hooves made the animals run in fear. Behind the bushes, a band of unknown raiders waited until their order was called.

Simultaniously, a weary messanger ran across fields to deliver an important letter. He stopped at a grand manor, named Devereux House. He knocked on the door, a pale maid answered.

She looked at him and said, 'Is there anything I can do for you?'

He shook his head and showed her the letter. 'An important message from Sir Devereux.'

She tried opening the seal but he said, 'For his daughter.'

She nodded and closed the door.

Adelaide ran down the stairs and said, 'Is that for me?'

The nursemaid nodded and said, 'From your father, mademoiselle.'

Adelaide cried out in joy and said, 'I wonder what he says.'

She ran upstairs to her room and opened the seal. A necklace fell out. Adelaide looked at it, puzzled, and read the letter, for her father taught her how to read.

'To my dear daughter, Adelaide,

It pains me to say this may be the last letter of mine you shall ever see. I am going to make negotiations with the mysterious army who have captured our king. Although I hope for the best, I am no fool. This could be my death. I am leaving you with my final treasure, the necklace your mother gave me. I have been the best father I could to you, my darling. But you have the power inside of you to be the greatest person you can be.

Your cherisher,

Sir Andrew Devereux'

Adelaide shed a tear, then burst into a sea of tears. Unlike her father, she could not resist sadness. Slowly, she stopped crying and examined the necklace. She recognised it as the necklace her father wore under his outer garments. She understood what it meant to him. She put the necklace around her neck and admired its beauty. She thought of her parents and how she could do them proud.

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_**Thanks to indogma for the review, that was really helpful! Hopefully the updates will be a little quicker this time. Disclaimer: I don't own Stronghold but Adelaide is my personal creation. Anyway, thanks again and keep reading! ~ ImyG**_


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The Fallen Kingdom

The last soldier ran towards the light of the tent. His face was illuminated by the last of the evening sun. He entered into the tent, where Lord Woolsack and Sir Longarm were waiting.

He panted then said, 'I'm sorry to report, the noblemen have all been massacred by some unknown raiders.'

Lord Woolsack sat back in his chair and shouted, 'My goodness! We must retreat.'

Sir Longarm protested. 'Certainly not! If we retreat, they will take the county!'

Lord Woolsack sighed and said, 'We have no choice.'

Sir Longarm burst out of the tent, the rage building inside of him.

Lord Woolsack sighed again and looked up to the ceiling of the tent. It seemed as if it was all going too fast. The new army of foes, the king's capture and now the deaths of the men with the most power.

The next day, Adelaide awoke with a shock. Someone was knocking on the door, very loudly. It seems her servants had disappeared. She put her head under her pillow. The person knocked again. She didn't want to answer it, it would defy her ladyship. They knocked yet again and with a moan, she ran down the stairs and opened the door. There was a whole army of horses with knights atop them, behind a short man. The man seemed to be a servant, but she couldn't really tell as she was still sleepy.

He said in a loud voice, 'Good morning, miss. Sir Longarm invites the heir of the Devereux name to come with him to take back England for the king! Is he around?'

She rubbed her eyes and said, 'Hmm? What?'

He leaned in and said, 'Sir Devereux's son. Is he in?'

She looked at him and said, 'Sorry, my father never had a son.'

He looked disappointed and said, 'Pity. Onwards!'

The knights and the servant departed but Adelaide walked out of the door and called, 'Wait!'

He turned around and the horses stopped. She walked over and said, 'I am Sir Devereux's daughter.'

He laughed and said, 'That may be, but Sir Longarm wants his son. Who doesn't exist. So, I'm sorry, but you're no help.'

She said, 'What exactly does Sir Longarm want my father's heir for?'

One of the armoured gentleman said, 'I want him to aid us in taking back this land for the king!'

She backed away and said, 'What do you mean?'

His voice was gruff and he said, 'This county is about to be overriden. The king's loyal troops are evacuating to the west.'

She walked to him and said, 'Well, let me join you.'

Many of the knights laughed but this knight silenced them.

He took off his helmet to reveal an old gentleman, gruff and proud. He looked down at her and said, 'So you say you're Sir Devereux's daughter, eh?'

Adelaide bowed and said, 'I am. I know that I'm only a girl, but I feel that I should assist you in some way.'

One the knights giggled and said, 'Hey lads, imagine HER in battle!'

They all laughed, except Sir Longarm.

Adelaide tried to plead, 'Sir Longarm, I am not seeking a position of any knid. I could help as even a servant girl.'

He looked down and said, 'What are you trying to gain?'

She said in a harsh tone, 'I wish to remain loyal to the king. That is what my father would do.'

He replied, 'When this madness is over, you may be burnt to the stake.'

She was determined. Her eyes fixed in his as she said, 'I'm willing to take that risk.'

He thought about it for a moment and gruffly said, 'Fine. Follow us.'

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**Sorry for the short chapter... Which came late. Schoolwork manages to multiply at an alarming rate. But I'm not going to let it defeat me now! Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Please R&R! ~Imy**


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